Ocean County hospitals locked down as police swarm Lakewood and Toms River facilities

🚨 Bomb threats triggered police searches at two Ocean County hospitals

🚨 The threats reportedly came from a man furious that he couldn’t visit a patient

🚨 Both hospitals were deemed safe

Bomb threats were made Tuesday evening against two Ocean County hospitals, forcing lockdowns at the medical facilities.

RWJ Barnabas officials said that police were called "out of an abundance of caution." Police were called to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood and Community Medical Center in Toms River after a threat was made. Following a search of both facilities, they were deemed safe and normal operations resumed.

Video shows police dogs outside the hospital in Lakewood and on Hospital Drive outside Community Medical. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said his office's High Tech Crime Squad, Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Homeland Security Squad and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit were involved in the search along with Toms River and Lakewood police.

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Billhimer did not disclose the circumstances of the threat or whether a suspect had been identified.

The Lakewood Scoop reported the threat came from a man who was upset at not being able to visit with a patient and threatened to detonate explosives placed in several locations at each facility.

RWJ Barnabas Health has implemented a mask requirement for all staff, patients and visitors at all its facilities due to "a rise in respiratory virus activity."

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